(L to R-Courtney Castro, Snoop and Speedy Williams)

One of NY’s best kept secrets (No Pun intended Mr. Reid) right now is Brownsville’s own Courtney Castro. Growing up in the ‘ville, Castro (who’s mixed with Black and all types of Spanish) started out playing baseball. But at age 13, his older brothers aerial-artistry made him see basketball in a new light.

“I used to see him playing ball in the park a lot,” said his brother. “Baseball was my first love but after watching him dunk on a few guys, it just looked like a lot of fun.”

While most serious 13-year-old ballers are seasoned vets, with AAU and top-flight camps under their belts, Castro’s start came via milk crates nailed to trees in his backyard. Eventually he upgraded to broken rims.

“When hoops broke off at parks from people hanging or dunking on them, I’d take them and just put them on my tree. That’s really how I learned to play,” Castro said.

As a raw talent, Castro was cut from the team at Westinghouse High School his freshmen year but he didn’t let it phase him. He spent that whole summer as a rising sophomore playing in neighborhood leagues and bettering himself against citywide comp at tourney’s like West 4th street, Fly Williams and Nike Swish league. It also didn’t hurt that he linked up with fellow Brooklynite Mookie (yes Mookie Thomas).

“He was like a streetball mentor,” Castro said. “We from the same hood and playing against him and the other older guys made me better.”

After a crash course summer of hoopin, Castro was ready to take on the best the PSAL had to offer. However, after a family decision, Castro moved to Westchester and went to school at Sleepy Hollow High School. He made the team and also made a name for himself over the course of his sophomore and junior years, averaging 19.5 points per and finishing in the top five in scoring for both years.

Hoops was starting to look promising but life took hold of Castro and his family. His sister had been battling an illness back in Brooklyn and Castro moved back there the summer of his junior year. Shortly after, his sister passed away and it took a lot out of him.

“After she passed, I didn’t want to do anything but my family and coaches kept telling me that she’d want me to do better and do good for myself. After that, I realized I needed to do something with my life, so I went back to school and enrolled at Pacific High.”

Castro stayed in Brooklyn and at age 19, he was back in school and back on the court, making up for lost time and making his family proud. He averaged 30 ppg. and led Pacific High School to the PSAL Championship Game. After a brief stint at McLennan CC in Waco Texas, he went to play at DII school Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, where he shot 40% from downtown and averaged nearly 12 ppg.

Once done with school, Castro became somewhat of a journeyman and got his Jacky Moon on, playing in different semi-pro leagues and eventually landing with the Premier Basketball Leagues Quebec Kebs in Canada. An opportunity he’d earned after (then Knicks forward) Jerome Williams referred him to the team. The two met when Castro put on a show at the Knicks last man standing tourney in ’06, where he made it to the final four and eventually lost to NYC Playground legend Speedy Williams 10-7.

Since playing in Canada, Castro’s made a home with traveling Globetrotter-style team, the Harlem Wizards and has got the chance to spread basketball across the country and the globe and take in different cultures as well.

“Being on the road, you just see so many different things,” he said. “When you travel, you learn a lot. Like when I went out to the West coast, I was like ‘wow. They really dress different. They really do wear Chuck Taylor’s all day and hot ass Dickie’s suits’.”

While at home, he’s mainly known as Q (for the Q in his middle name LaQuan), on the Road with the Wizards, he’s simply the Jumpman. Watch him attack the rim and catch alley’s with ease and you’ll soon understand the namesake.

“I got the name Jumpman, cuz I can jump man,” said Castro after revealing that he has a 45” vertical leap. “Everyone (on the Wizards) called me hops at first but then all the kids we’d go play for would say ‘you can jump man!’ and it just stuck.”

It may have came as to his teammates at first and even crowds when the 5’10’” (maybe) Castro soared threw the air, but this is something Castro had in him for a long time. A few defenders have had to learn the hard way in the past. While most city point-gods dazzle with dizzying spin moves, ankle breaking in-and-outs and crossovers, that leave defenders more lost than a tourist on the subway, Castro breaks that mold. He’s got a great jumper (ok he’s got a ratchet) and he’s been known to catch people off-guard with his handles but don’t let your perception or his height fool you: The boy has springs.

“One time in an AAU game playing with the Putnam Panthers team, two guys (a 6-2 guard and a 6-5 swingman) caught a bad one,” recalled Castro. “I Went baseline and took off from the block and when I jumped, they jumped and I threw down a one handed tomahawk on ‘em. Really I was just surprised that they jumped. I aint even get hyped but the crowd did. I was just focused on throwing it down.” To sum up his game, he’s like Trevor Ariza trapped in Jameer Nelson’s body. Great outside shooter with a whole-lotta bounce.

Last summer, Castro created a bigger-buzz for himself after running with Money Inc and TNA Express at West 4th, Sunsports, Dyckman and Rodney Park. He capped off the summer with a 24-point-MVP performance at West 4th and a runner-up performance in the dunk contest there too.

“I was shocked,” Castro said of his award at the Cage. “I thought Homicide was gunna win. I was playing against Smush and Homicide. So to win it was big. I got a name but not like them, so that was a big accomplishment. People don’t just get handed a West 4th all-star game MVP.”

In addition to the two-teams he ran with last summer, Castro’s playing with Diamond. Catch him at Dyckman, West 4th, Rodney Park, Kingdome, Tri-State (maybe) and the Lowa Deck’s K1X tourney (shout out to my man 40. Good luck in the contest, make us proud). Best believe Castro plans on building up his baller resume this summer, so consider this the warning. Once again, he’s ready for all challengers.

“I love summer ball cuz there’s guys that are as good as you or maybe better. But I wont say anyone’s better than me cuz I’ve given lots of guys with names buckets,” Castro said. “Lenny Cooke, Andre Barrett, Taliek Brown. I could name tons of guys. I’ve been around the best, did my thing and played my heart out. I don’t care who’s who. Once you get on the court, we all people.”